Brussels, 28/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 28 March, the European Commission imposed fines totalling €169 million on 14 international groups of companies for participating in four distinct cartels in the air transit sector (see EUROPE 10583). It also imposed a total fine of €86 million on nine producers of mountings for windows and glass doors.
Freight forwarding. In the first case, the freight forwarders colluded on surcharges and charging mechanisms in the use of the British NES (New Export System), and the American AMS (Advanced Manifest System) or taking advantage of the “currency adjustment factor” (CAF) and “peak season surcharges” (PSS). The collusion was principally on the Europe-USA and the China/Hong Kong-Europe routes and duration varied in each of the four cartels. Participants held regular informal meetings, in a so-called “Gardening Club”, and set prices using a code (the names of vegetables). The main groups involved were Kuehne + Nagel (which was fined most heavily), Panalpina, Schenker, UPS and Deutsche, through its subsidiaries Exel and DHL. These last two were granted full immunity from fines as they cooperated with the Commission. Reductions were also granted to: - CEVA (35%) in the NES cartel, - Agility Logistics Ltd (30%), Schenger and Deutsche Bahn (25%) in the AMS cartel; - CEVA (50%, Schenker and Deutsche Bahn (20%) and Yusen Shenda Air & Sea Services (5%) in the CAF cartel; - Schenker (50%) and Agility Logistics (25%) in the PSS cartel.
Windows. In the second case, the nine companies - Roto, Gretsch-Unitas, Siegenia, Winkhaus, Hautau, Fuhr, Strenger (all of Germany), Maco of Austria and AGB of Italy - held annual meetings between 1999 and 2007 to set prices on this €1 billion market. Roto, which was the first to provide information about the cartel, received full immunity from fines. The fines on Gretsch-Unitas and Maco were reduced by 45% and 25% respectively in view of their cooperation in the investigation. In all cases, the Commission took into account the situation of the companies.
Energy. As indicated in yesterday's newsletter, the Commission imposed a fine of €2.5 million on Czech energy companies Energeticky a prumyslovy holding (EPH) and EP Investment Advisors, for obstructing an inspection at their premises by Commission officials as part of an antitrust investigation in 2009. (FG/transl.rt)